LIQUID COMPOSITION COMPRISING PLANT OIL FROM PLANTS BELONGING TO THE GENUS BACTRIS AND/OR MAURITIA

Description

Field of the Invention

The present invention discloses a liquid composition, specially a liquid soap composition, for the care of the skin, with hydrating and cleaning properties, comprising as main actives extract of Bacths gasipaes H. B. K. and/or Mauritia flexuosa, as well as a process for its production.

Background of the invention

Soaps are fatty acids salts produced by the reaction of animal fat (sebum) and/or vegetable oils (coconut oil, babacu oil, etc) with potassium or sodium hydroxide. They are included in a group intended for cleaning called detergent (from the latin, detergere, meaning 'to clean'). Soaps or soap bars are fats added to bases responsible for the saponification or hydrolysis, producing a mass, used in skin cleansing.

Soap compositions comprise, in addition to detergents, other substances, which have specific applications in our bodies imparting pleasant color and fragrances to the soaps.

When soaps contact water, clear solutions, with foaming ability, are formed. The detergent present in the soap is responsible for the foam produced, considered a colloidal dispersion, where a great volume of air is dispersed in a small amount of liquid (clearer solutions), forming fused bubbles. The walls of these bubbles are formed of very thin liquid films.

When in contact with the foam bubbles, white light (solar or light bulb) suffers multiple reflections. But, in each of the several points of the bubble surface the reflected light remains white. As the bubble walls are too thin, after several transmissions, light would have passed through a small length of the

liquid and this is not enough to produce a different color. Therefore, even if the soap is colored, the foam will always be white. Saponification

Saponification is the chemical reaction resulting from the combination of oil or fat with an alkali in water. The heat produced in mixing the oils and fats to an alkali in water is enough to start the chemical reaction. The ingredients are mixed, interact and transform themselves into a new product. This mixture will be continuously and slowly stirred until take on weight.

The consumer demands products that offer additional benefits, such as relaxing, energizing or moisturizing properties, having its roots in the bathtub and shower among several new cleaning products, confirming a holistic trend, which gained strength in the last few years.

In this process the soap or toilet bar is loosing terrain in market shelves to new products such as liquid soaps. The liquid soaps help the body regain the natural moisture of the skin, producing a smooth and gentle skin.

A soap, in order to be considered pleasant, must be soft, and when touched gently, one must perceive its smoothness. When fresh, the soap absorbs moisture in little drops, leaving its surface wet. These are the main features that indicate its high level of glycerin. Cleaning Agents

The main cleaning agents are soaps, detergents and solvents. Soap is the most popular cleaning agent, but many synthetic detergents are also used, being called as soaps that leaves the skin dry. Other ones have a creamy base that does not leave the skin dry. Some liquid soaps leave the skin dry, while others keep it moist.

Bactris gasipaes is a species of palm native to the tropical forests of the South and Central America. It is a palm which fruit is a drupe with an edible pulp surrounding the single seed, 4-6 cm long and 3-5 cm broad. The rind (epicarp) of this wild palm can be red, yellow, or orange when the fruit is ripe depending on the variety of the palm. B. gasipaes is well known by the native populations where it usually grows up, and they having been used for centuries as food.

They frequently eat the fruit stewed in salted water. However, it may be peeled and dressed with salt and honey, used to make compotes and jellies, or also used to make flour and edible oil. Because the huge importance of β. gasipaes for the native populations, there are numerous common names for this plant in several languages and many countries such as peach-palm or pewa, pejibaye, tembe, pupunheira, and pupunha.

The Moriche Palm, Mauhtia flexuosa, also known as the lte Palm, buriti, or aguaje, is a palm tree. It grows in and near swamps and other wet areas in tropical South America. The Moriche Palm fruit is edible with a high vitamin C content and used to make juice, jam, ice cream, and a fermented "wine". An oil high in vitamin A is extracted from the pulp and is frequently used to treat burns because of its soothing qualities. This tree is important to several bird species, such as the Red-bellied Macaw, Sulphury Flycatcher and Moriche Oriole, which use it for nesting and food.

The patent literature contains some documents disclosing Mauήtia flexuosa and/or Bactris gasipaes.

Document WO 06/120646 discloses cosmetic compositions comprising terpenone for alleviating the signs of skin ageing. Although it discloses the use of Mauπtia flexuosa in one composition it does not associate its use to the antioxidant activity. The present invention differs from the prior art due to the fact that it is a cleansing composition, and not an anti-ageing cream, and the extract of Mauhtia flexuosa is the main active of the composition, in an amount higher than previously described. Document WO 99/64029 discloses plant extracts from Bactris balanoidea useful in pharmaceutical compositions to treat several diseases such as diabetes, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, influenza, common cold symptoms, pulmonary emphysema, bronchitis, poliomyelitis, macular degeneration, cancer, gingivitis, dermatitis, hair loss, hepatitis, genital herpes, papilloma, and asthma. The present invention differs from the prior art in that it

does not disclose a cosmetic composition comprising oils extracted from Mauhtia flexuosa and/or Bactris gasipaes as main active agents.

Document WO 05/118759 discloses a cosmetic composition comprising palm extracts for the skin, wherein the palm extracts are olein or palm oil. The present invention differs from the prior art in that it does not disclose a cosmetic composition comprising oils extracted from Mauhtia flexuosa and/or Bactris gasipaes as main active agents.

Therefore, it can be seen that the prior art does not teach nor suggests the use of cosmetic compositions, specially liquid and solid soap compositions, comprising extracts from Mauhtia flexuosa and/or Bactris gasipaes as main active agents.

Objectives of the Invention

It is an objective of the invention a liquid cleansing composition comprising: a) from 45% w/w to 70% w/w of surfactants; b) from 1% w/w to 15% w/w of a plant oil comprising oil from plants belonging to the genus Bactris and/or Mauritia; and c) water. In a preferred embodiment, the plant oil belongs to the species Bactris gasipaes H. B. K and/or Mauritia flexuosa, and the surfactants are chosen from the group comprising anionic, cationic, non-ionic, amphoteric and/or zwitterionic surfactants.

It is a further objective of the invention a process for producing a cleansing composition comprising the steps of: a) preparing an oil phase comprising a plant oil comprising oil from plants belonging to the genus Bactris and/or Mauritia; b) preparing an aqueous phase comprising the surfactants; c) addition of the oil phase of a) in the aqueous phase of b) at a temperature higher than about 40 ⁰ C; d) addition of the emulsion of c) into an adequate liquid soap vehicle.

In a preferred embodiment, the emulsion formed in step c) is formed by a Low Energy Emulsion process.

Detailed Description of the Invention The following examples are intended solely to exemplify some embodiment of the many existent ways of performing the invention, and therefore are to be understood as not limitating the present invention.

The expression "cosmetic cleansing composition" is to be understood as any compositions useful for the cleaning of any part of the body such as skin, hair, nails. It also encompasses several forms such as emulsions, dispersions, solutions and can be presented in several products such as liquid and solid soaps.

Plant Oils The plant oils useful in the present invention are chosen from plants belonging to the genus Bactris and/or Mauritia.

The plant oils are preferably extracted from the fruits, wherein the extraction process is according to the method for continuous extractions at controlled temperature and the extraction must be performed in the absence of light. The resulting oils contained a high amount of carotenoids.

In a preferred embodiment, the plants are Bactris gasipaes H. B. K. and/or Mauritia flexuosa, and are present in an amount of from 1% w/w to 15% w/w.

In a more preferred embodiment, the cleansing composition is a solid soap comprising 3% w/w of Bactris gasipaes H. B. K. and 3% w/w Mauritia flexuosa, and also a liquid soap comprising 2% w/w of Bactris gasipaes H. B. K. and 2% w/w Mauritia flexuosa.

One differential is the use of plant products, especially from the Amazon region, which imparts a greater absorption and penetration, leaving the skin smooth and with elasticity, protecting from free radicals.

Surfactant

The surfactants useful in the present invention are chosen from the group comprising anionic, cationic, non-ionic, amphoteric and/or zwitterionic surfactants. Examples of each class are detailed below. a) Anionic Surfactants

The anionic surfactant may comprise, wholly or predominantly, a C8-15 linear alkyl benzene sulphonate. Primary alkyl or alkenyl sulphate in which the alkyl or alkenyl chain has of 8 to 18 carbon atoms especially 10 to 14 carbon atoms and a solubilising cation, is also commercially significant as an anionic surfactant and may be used in this invention, olefin sulphonates; alkane sulphonates; dialkyl sulphosuccinates; and fatty acid ester sulphonates. One or more soaps of fatty acids may also be included. Examples are sodium soaps derived from the fatty acids from coconut oil, beef tallow, sunflower or hardened rapeseed oil. These may be formed by adding fatty acid and a base such as sodium carbonate to a mixture which is used to form the surfactant-rich base particles. b) Cationic Surfactants

Cationic surfactants that may be used include quaternary ammonium salts of the general formula: R ₁ R ₂ R ₃ R ₄ N ⁺ X ^" wherein the R groups are long or short hydrocarbyl chains, typically alkyl, hydroxyalkyl or ethoxylated alkyl groups, and X is a solubilising anion (for example, compounds in which R ₁ is a C ₈ -C ₂₂ alkyl group, preferably a Cs-C _1O or C ₁₂ -C ₁₄ alkyl group, R ₂ is a methyl group, and R ₃ and R ₄ , which may be the same or different, are methyl or hydroxyethyl groups); and cationic esters (for example, choline esters). c) Non-ionic Surfactants

Nonionic surfactants that may be used include the primary and secondary alcohol ethoxylates, especially the Ce-C _2O aliphatic alcohols ethoxylated with an average of from 1 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol, and more especially the C ₁ Q-C ₁₅ primary and secondary aliphatic

alcohols ethoxylated with an average of from 1 to 10 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol. Non-ethoxylated nonionic surfactants include alkylpolyglycosides, glycerol monoethers, and polyhydroxyamides (glucamide). d) Amphoteric and/or Zwitterionic Surfactants Preferred amphoteric surfactants are amine oxides. These are materials of the general formula:

R ₁ R ₂ R ₃ N→O wherein Ri is typically a C ₈ -Ci ₈ alkyl group, for example, Ci2-C ₁₄ alkyl, and R ₂ and R ₃ , which may be the same or different, are CrC ₃ alkyl or hydroxyalkyl groups, for example, methyl groups. The most preferred amine oxide is coco dimethylamine oxide. Preferred zwitterionic surfactants are betaines, and especially amidobetaines. Preferred betaines are C ₈ -C ₁₈ alkyl amidoalkylbetaines, for example, coco amidopropyl betaine (CAPB).

Additional Ingredients

Several other ingredients commonly used in the production of cleansing compositions can also be used in the present invention. These ingredients include, without limitation, humectants and/or moisturizers such as glycerin, opacifying agents such as glycol distearate, natural and/or synthetic polymers, silicones, preservatives such as methylparaben and propylparaben, antioxidants, viscosity modifiers, fragrances and colorants.

The colorants used in the cosmetic composition can be synthetic or natural, and are present in small amounts in the composition. They absorb visible light in a determined wavelength and send it in another, producing the observed coloration in the composition. Useful colorants include, without limitation, inorganic pigments, organic pigments and combinations thereof.

Production Process

Soap production processes useful in the present invention are those already part of the state of the art, such as the Continental Process. Also known as "method 4:2:1 , because for each four parts of oil, two parts of water and one

part of gum is used in the production of the emulsion. By this method, the Arabic gum or any other Oλλ/ emulsifier is ground with the oil in a dry mortar until an homogeneous mixture is achieved. The best ratio between the oil, water and gum is 4:2:1. Cellulose derivatives or other emulsifiers can replace the gum.

This method has two variants: a) Continental Direct: in this variant, the fatty material of the discontinuous phase (oil phase) is melted at 70°-90°C and then mixed with the continuous phase (aqueous phase). b) Continental Indirect: There is an inversion of phases, when one of the phases is higher than 74% (74% of aqueous phase and 26% of oil phase, or vice-versa)

The use of the LEE method presents several advantages such as reduced use of thermal energy, substances and storage, producing a product with high viscosity, stability, consistency and appearance, when compared to classical production methods. It increases the yield up to 80% when compared with the continental process. Another advantage is the reduced emulsification cooling time and processing when compared to the state of the art methods.

The LEE process comprises three different phases: oil, alpha (α) and beta (β). The oil phase comprises the carotenoids and other fatty substances while the remaining ingredients are distributed in the fases alpha and beta.

This process guarantees the integrity of the dematological properties of the components for both solid and liquid soap compositions.

Example 1

The present invention describes a method to produce a liquid soap comprising α-tocopherol and β-carotene, present in the oil of Bactris gasipaes H. B. K. and Mauritia flexuosa. The process comprise the steps of mixing phases A and B, followed by homogenization, and add this mixture to phase C at 40 ⁰ C. After total homogenization, the vegetal oils are added and the formulation stored.

The table below illustrates the components of phases A, B and C.

Table 1. Formula for liquid soap production

Phas Ingredients % w/w e

Sodium Hydroxide Solution at 10% 0,8

Water 30,0

Comperlan KD 5,0

A Sodium Lauryl ether sulphate 40,0

Propylparaben 0,1

Methylparaben 0,2

B Stearic Acid 8,0

Monosterate de Gliceryl 12,0

Germal 115 0,1

C Water 100,0

The table below illustrates one possible composition.

Table 2. Stable liquid soap composition, comprising oils of Bactris gasipaes H. B. K. and Mauhtia flexuosa.

Example 2

In the microbiological controls of the present composition, no contamination was observed. The analytical tests performed did not show any

instability, such as phase separation. These results can be better seen in the tables below.

Table 4. Sensorial Properties of the Liquid Soap.

N = No alterations

S = Alterations in the parameters observed

Table 5. Physico-chemical properties of the liquid soap.

T = Time in days

FP = 140 mL plastic bag

RPA = 6Og Plastic container at room temperature

NHF = No phase separation

NHA = No alteration

FPT = transparent plastic film